


you’re the man (the one i’m looking for)

by gracedbybattle



Series: tell me where the good men go [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Fluff, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21894250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracedbybattle/pseuds/gracedbybattle
Summary: Poe grew on stories of the Rebellion from his mother, the dangers and celebrations of war. He finally gets to experience what follows the final battle.In which Finn is Poe’s huckleberry and everyone gets a happy ending. Post TROS.
Relationships: Kes Dameron & Poe Dameron, Poe Dameron/Finn, Wedge Antilles & Poe Dameron, Wedge Antilles/Norra Wexley
Series: tell me where the good men go [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639906
Comments: 51
Kudos: 535





	1. Chapter 1

Poe had heard the story of the aftermath of Endor dozens of times. He can remember climbing into his mother’s lap after supper in their ranch house on Yavin IV and listening, with rapt attention for a toddler, to her recount the destruction of the second Death Star. His father would be cleaning up in their kitchen, smiling fondly at his wife and small son, as Shara regaled the battle.

The overwhelming relief at seeing the monstrous machine go up in the blast and the unbridled joy of reuniting on the moon below. Kes had been a Pathfinder, a member of Han Solo’s ground team, and Shara had been, as she always was, in the sky.

She told him about the celebration afterward, the way they’d danced the night away against the stars and forest of Endor. The Ewok’s music carried them deep into the night and the bonfire blazed as pilots landed in the clearing and reunited with the ground team.

How she’d lept into Kes’ arms, crying and laughing with the sheer excitement of their unprecedented success. He’d lifted her like she weighted nothing, twirling her around as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck.

Wedge Antilles, hot on their heels, had shook his head fondly before being swept up into the joy, Luke had practically bounded out the trees to greet the arriving pilots and threw his arms around his best friend. He’d practically bowled Wedge over in his exuberance. Han and Leia had been enraptured with each other, dancing against the flames of the fire, smiles large enough to split their faces open.

_“It was one of the best nights I can remember,” Kes recounted to Poe later, when Poe was beaten and bruised after his mission to Jakku, nursing a bottle of ale beside his father on the steps of the house._

_They were facing the courtyard to Shara’s tree, the blue-green leaves softly rustling in the breeze. The aftermath of his capture and escape had sent Poe back to Yavin to collect Black One._

_Kes had taken one look at his only child off the transport, blackened bruises and sunburnt, and swept him into a bear hug that made Poe’s aching ribs protest._

_He’d hugged his dad back just as fiercely and blinked back the salty tears overwhelming his eyes. He clutched the worn fabric of his dad’s familiar jacket and tried not to think of the loss of his mission, his droid, or the man who’d sprung him in the first place._

_Finn, who was most likely dead somewhere in the desert strone among the wreckage, BB-8 and the map lost to the First Order._

_He’d spent the night at Yavin before heading back to D’Qar, but sleep was elusive and he’d found himself out on the steps with Kes, recalling old memories. Kes had leveled Poe with a look, nearly too deep and open for Poe’s battered heart to stand._

_“You know I don’t like you out there,” he started, the well-worn argument between them._

_Poe was nearly too tired to even begin his usual retort, but Kes held up his hand before he could force the words out._

_“I know it’s important. I know there’s nothing I can say to change your mind,” Kes said._

_He picked at the fading label on the bottle in his hand, eyes a million miles away. It was almost as though he was talking to himself._

_“Gods know Shara and I were more than committed to the cause. That doesn’t mean I have to like you risking your life on Leia’s orders.”_

_Poe exhaled shakily, the movement causing his hastily bandaged ribs in protest. His father studied his reaction, no doubt wishing they’d have gone to a real medical facility on Poe’s return rather than a quick medkit in the ‘fresher, but he didn’t comment._

_“But,” he continued. “You’re fighting for people that can’t fight for themselves. It’s what we did. If your mother were here, it would take an act of God to keep her from going with you.”_

_Poe pulled his attention away from the tree, to meet his father’s eyes. They were dark, like his own, and full of a masked grief. Grief for the loss of his wife, the danger to his son, and the injustice that they still fought in the galaxy._

_“She would be proud of you, Poe. As proud of you as I am,” Kes said._

_Poe couldn’t stop the strangled sob building at the base of his throat, and his father threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to his side._

_“What you’re fighting for, it’s that night we danced on Endor. The love of the people around you. That’s what we fought for. It’s what makes it worth it. ”_

_Poe pressed his lips and eyes shut, water slipping past his lids and nodded, tucking his head into his father’s shoulder and not trusting himself to say a word._

\--

The aftermath of Exegol seems like a rerun of his mother’s stories in technicolor. Poe climbs gingerly from his battered X-Wing, BB-8 dropping beside him with a concerned beep.

“I’m okay buddy,” he reassures the droid, readjusting the sling on his shoulder. It was a hasty first aid in the air, the blaster burn from the day before was still smarting and dislocating his shoulder in the battle above Exegol hadn’t helped.

But the minor injuries were more than worth it.

The people around him were practically a mob, running back and forth between the ships, jumping and flailing and leaping into one another’s arms. The air was pulsing with joy, the thrill at the end of the war, the end of the war, felt like a physical thing singing through the trees. His knees trembled underneath him, weak with relief. BB-8 bumped against his legs.

“We did it Leia,” he whispered aloud to himself, starting at the commotion around him. He reached a hand down to rub against BB-8’s dome and his droid chirped at him.

“We did it.” He reached for the chain around his neck, clutching his mother’s ring in his hand. Carrying it with him was a constant reminder of what they fought for, of who he was.

“We did it, mom. We made it worth it,” his voice hoarse with emotion. He imagined they were together, somewhere, watching. It left a soft feeling in his chest.

As the rest of the Resistance mulled around him, like a stone caught in a river, he suddenly shook from his stupor and felt a fear wash over him.

_Snap. Rey. Finn._

_Where were they?_ Finn was supposed to have come in with Lando, but he could see the _Falcon_ and the old rebel fighter from here, with no sign of his best friend.

Rey was coming in on Luke’s old X-Wing, but he couldn’t make her or the ship out either. And he knew, knew, he’d seen Snap’s fighter go up in flames against the destroyer and felt his stomach bottom out.

He’d forgotten.

“Hey kid,” a voice startled behind him and he whirled around, nearly tripping over BB-8 in his haste. The adrenaline was still singing through his veins.

Wedge Anitlles, his old mentor, stood behind him, hands stretched forward in a non-threatening manner like he thought Poe was ready to bolt.

Wedge looked nearly the same as he had when Poe had been a young pilot, headstrong and determined to live up to his mother’s name at the Academy.

He still had an air of complete and total confidence, his demeanor was completely at ease and unruffled, like he’d walked off a simple training course and not brought the cavalry that had defeated the First Order. His dark eyes were kind, his hair silver with age and Poe still couldn’t believe he was here.

“Wedge,” he started and stopped because sheer emotion was closing up his throat. He couldn’t bear to tell his old teacher that he’d seen his step-son die. “I’m so sorry...I saw Snap go down-”

“Hang on, hang on there son,” Wedge interrupted, his face contouring in an a-ha look like he’d just figured something out. Poe couldn’t bear his calm. He was about to shatter his world. _Snap, Snap was dead-_

“Poe!” Wedge shouted and Poe realized he was babbling aloud. “Poe, Snap’s not dead. He ejected right before the crash. Karé picked him up.”

Wedge was starting at Poe, like he wanted to make sure the words were reaching his brain. “He’s okay. Well,” Wedge winced, rethinking his words.

“He’s got a broken leg and a hell of a concussion and I doubt Karé will let him out her sight, but he’s alive. He’s alive, Poe.”

Wedge was gripping Poe’s shoulder and the wave of relief was so strong it nearly brought Poe down. “We did it,” Wedge said.

“You, Snap, Norra, Lando, it’s over.” He started to say something else, but Norra Wexley had hopped out of her fighter and was running for him. He lit up at the sight of her.

“I’m gonna go with Norra and find him and Kare, see how he’s doing. I’ll come find you later. We’re gonna have a hell of a celebration.”

“Just like Endor,” Poe muttered, his brain finally rebooting back online. Wedge grinned at him. “I’m sure we’ve got booze around here somewhere, so better than Endor.” He clapped Poe on the back and jogged to Norra, wrapping an arm around his wife. He pressed his forward against hers and she clutched his arm in response.

Poe turned from them as they melted into the chaos. He felt a weight lifted off his heart, but the fear crept back in when he realized he hadn’t seen Finn yet.

He scanned the crowd and saw dozens of faces that he recognized, Pava, Rose, Zorii, Maz, Lando, Chewie. No Finn. _Where was he?_

“Poe!”

He whirled around, his heart shooting through his chest like a shot. Finn was behind him, running. Poe could barely breathe.

He was okay. He was alive.

He felt like his smile could smile the heavens wide. He snuck a hand out and caught Finn as the other man collided into him, the combination of his enthusiasm and Poe’s weak knees nearly sent them tumbling. It punched the air from his lungs as his hand clung to the back of Finn’s neck.

He buried his face into the juncture of Finn’s shoulder, breathing him in and relishing in the feel of the solid body against his own. His mother’s ring pressed against his chest, thudding along with his heart.

_Alive, alive, alive._

“Poe, are you okay?” Finn pulled away and Poe hated being separated even just for a second, chasing the warmth and comfort of another body like a falling star. Finn held him at a distance and looked him up and down, clearly searching for injuries. He reached out for Poe’s shoulder, eyes widening at the sling, and stopped just short of touching it.

“It’s fine,” Poe shrugged and winced, immediately regretted the movement as his shoulder protesting in a sharp ripple of pain. Finn’s gaze narrowed. “Okay, maybe not fine, but it’ll hold,” he grinned at the other man, the joy he felt overriding everything else.

 _Love_ , his blood sang. His father’s words, _“The people we love,”_ and staring into Finn’s eyes, he knew.

 _I love_ you, he thought but the words caught in his throat. _I love, I love, I love._

It shouldn’t have taken this long to make him realize what was staring him in the face. All those late nights on the Falcon, the missions on the run, arms slung around shoulders, pressed up against Finn’s side, waiting at each others medbed. Poe had always been a tactile person, but even more so with Finn. Pava and Snap had teased him endlessly about it, but he’d waved them off. He should have understood what that meant long ago.

“You idiot,” Finn said but he was grinning like the sun. “I was so worried. I couldn’t find you, I didn’t know what had happened! I thought, I thought I might not never…” he trailed off and Poe was nearly afraid of what he was going to say.

“I love you,” he blurted out. He couldn’t keep it to himself. It was threatening to overwhelm him, break through the dam and the words were tumbling out. His hand was still clutching the back of Finn’s neck, fingers curling through the short strands of hair.

Finn’s eyes flew wide at his words and Poe had a split second to worry before Finn ducked his head and caught his mouth in a soul-searing kiss. Poe’s eyes flew open surprise before he got with the program, tightening his hold on Finn’s neck and kissing him right back.

They broke apart and Finn rested his forehead against Poe’s, breathing heavily in each others space. Finn pulled back and tenderly brushed Poe’s curls from his forehead, the edges of the strands still sweaty from his flight helmet. Poe sighed, leaning into the touch.

Finn grinned at him and they started for a moment at one another, grinning like fools.

“I know,” he said, eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief and love.

Poe snorted, closing his eyes and leaning forward to bring their foreheads together. “Don’t joke,” he huffed.

Finn frowned, a tiny furrow in his brow, and then smiled again, that big gorgeous , blinding smile. What had Poe ever done to deserve that smile? Finn pulled Poe back against him, hands pressed against his back. Poe leaned into him, going boneless, the feeling of Finn’s hand an anchor against his flight suit.

“I love you too,” he whispered in Poe’s ear, tickling the edge. “I wanted to tell you before. I should have.”

“Don’t apologize,” Poe said, clutching at him. “It’s okay. We’ve got all the time in the world, now.”

The world, the whole planet could be collapsing under his feet for all he knew. He just needed to cling to Finn. It felt like someone had hollowed out his insides out and filled them with honey, warm and sweet. He could feel the size of the grin on his face and he couldn’t contain this happiness, even if he wanted to. The warm ache in his chest was expanding, spilling out of his insides with joy.

“Damn right we do,” Finn smiled at him, as easy as the breeze. “Gonna make the most of it.”

Poe snorted, quirked an eyebrow at him. “Promises, promises.”

Finn rolled his eyes back at him, fond, and clutched Poe against him once more, before his posture stiffened and Poe could tell something had caught his attention.

It was Red Five, Luke’s old X-Wing, breaking through the trees to land. He could barely see the pilot from here, but he knew. He turned to look at Finn and the other man’s face was alight. “It’s Rey,” he said in an awe-struck voice and Poe could relate.

They’d made it. All of them, against all odds.

He was already reaching out as Finn clasped their hands together and tugged Poe against his side, twining their fingers together. “C’mon General,” he said, “Let’s welcome her home.”


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Poe gets out of his debrief, the party is in full swing. A large fire is burning in the clearing and what remains of the Resistance is gathered around, dancing, laughing, talking and just living. It’s a bustle of elated commotion.There appears to be a healthy amount of ale flowing around, bottles of different shapes and sizes exchanging hands as they’re passed from one hand to the next. 

_Finn'll love this,_ he thinks absentmindedly, wondering how quickly Finn will be out to join the festivities. Finn had told Poe he'd catch up with him soon after the meeting ended. He’d wanted to speak with Rey quickly, but in private.

-

_"It’s nothing bad," he’d said quickly, probably because Poe had pulled a face. "Although, gotta say, jealousy is not a bad look on you."_

_"Hey, I’m not jealous," Poe protested, the words already dying in his mouth as Finn reached a hand up to brush his curls from his forehead. They were tucked into a corner of the briefing room, which was more or less a mobile transport that they’d been using for their command center on Ajan Kloss. Finn raised one dark eyebrow at him and Poe deflated._

_"Okay, a little jealous. Maybe," he relented. It seemed like such a stupid point to continue to fight over, but it was too easy to fall back into their familiar banter._

_"I think I'm force sensitive," Finn bit out quickly and wow, really? Poe snapped his head up in surprise._

_"Really? Buddy, that's awesome!"_

_Finn shrugged. "I'm not sure, but i think so. I can feel things, sometimes, something," he waved his hand through the air as if to explain the mysterious something he was alluding to. Poe had no idea what he meant by that, but he nodded vigorously._

_"And I don't know what it means, or what it is exactly, but I want to talk to her about it. See what she thinks. She may be the only one who would know."_

_He focused his gaze on Poe and there was just a touch of anxiousness in his dark eyes. “I didn’t want to say anything to you before I knew for sure. I know you haven’t always had the best experiences with, you know, the Force.” And Poe knew, oh he knew, what was in the back of Finn’s brain. Thinking of their first meeting, the way Kylo Ren had probed his mind after the massacre of Jakku. The terror of that helplessness, the pure violation of his mind, strapped down and cracked open like an egg. It was a prominent feature in his nightmares to this day._

_But that wasn’t Finn. And that wasn’t Rey. The Force wasn’t a malicious entity, it couldn’t hurt him any more than a blaster on a table could shoot him of its own violation. He could separate one and the other, but he could understand why Finn might be hesitant to share his suspicions. Even know, he was looking at Poe with a quiet kind of nervousness that they never seemed to share._

_Like he was worried this would change things between them. Like Poe wasn't ready to move them into the same quarters, give him his mothers ring, offer him his last name._

_Fat chance._

_In response, Poe surged up and kissed him hard with a smile. He fueled as much as he could the kiss, his devotion, affection. He pulled back and smiled at Finn, his joy making his eyes shine. They could have been doing this forever. Why hadn’t they?_

_"Enough of an answer for you, General?"_

_Finn sighed, like he was long suffering, but the look was gone from his eyes and he pulled Poe into another kiss, deeper than the first. His lips were quirked up, smiling against Poe’s mouth._

_"I think that'll do, General," and Poe’s chest felt so heavy with emotion he thought he might explode._

_Damn, he could get used to this_.

-

He can't exactly pinpoint where its coming from but music is wafting through clearing. It’s a jaunty, upbeat tune to match the mood of the crowd. He sees Lando and Jannah dancing among the crowd, the latters cape swaying with the movement. Lando steps to the side and dips them dramatically, and Jannah throws her head back in laughter. 

"Hey there."

Poe starts slightly at the voice behind him, so taken with the joyous scene in front of him that he’s not paying attention. Wedge Antilles is standing just to the side of his left shoulder, a small smile on his face. Poe melts a little inside at the familiar face. 

"Wedge, it's so good to see you," he steps forward to embrace his old mentor and stops just short. Wedge rolls his eyes at him and meets him the rest of the way, squeezing Poe around his shoulders in an embrace. 

"Good to see you too, Dameron," Wedge says, pulling back to look Poe in the face. "Hell of a way to end the war."

Poe chuckles, nodding. He sweeps a hand, still streaked with oil and grim, through his curls to push them out of his eyes. "Dramatic, as always. How's Snap?"

"Tolerant," Wedge replies, eyes tracking the crowd. "He'll be frustrated before long and looking for a prison break, but right now he's letting his mother and Karé fuss as much as they want. They say he'll make a full recovery."

"Thank god," Poe breathes, and relief is such a sweet thing, however brief. His thoughts immediately begin to turn sour, thinking of the ones they _did_ lose. There are so many that aren't recovering in the medbay right now. There are so many people here celebrating, but there are an equal number of grieving loved ones, friends. Maybe if they’d been smarter, been _faster-_

"Stop that," Wedge admonishes him.

"What?" Poe asked, yanked out of his thoughts and vaguely feeling like a young cadet at the academy again. 

"Stop thinking about what it cost," Wedge studies the crowd, no doubt looking for Norra, even unconsciously. "We can’t lose ourselves to grief. We plot a course and we stick to it. We all knew the risks of this fight. The price was high, and those we lost were willing to pay it. The best thing we can do to honor their memory to stay the course and finish what we started."

Poe sighs. He notices BB-8 and D-0 at the edge of the crowd, the tiny droid following Poe's droid closely as though he’s afraid to lose him among the chaos, BB-8 is trilling back to him. The droid catches sight of him and beeps, high pitched the way he does when he’s excited, and makes a beeline for Poe, D-O following along behind.

Poe kneels down to meet them, rubbing the top of BB-8's dome affectionately. He gives D-0 his customary distance, careful not to alarm the little droid with more proximity that it’s comfortable with. 

"You sound like Leia," he tells Wedge. 

Wedge shrugs. "It’s what she would have said. Luke too, if he were here."

Poe looks up from the two droids. For all the time and age, Wedge is still the man Poe met at the academy all those years ago. His dark hair has gone completely silver, but other than that he seems exactly the same man from the days of the Rebellion. He still looks like he could cut the air with an X-Wing, ice water in his veins. He walks with a limp from Akiva, but other than that he's barely missed a step. 

He looks at home here, celebrating a victory among this merry band of rebels.

He's the man who fought the Empire with Leia Organa, drank with Han Solo, flew with Luke Skywalker. The only man alive to make two runs on a Death Star. If anyone would have been privy to Leia’s thoughts, would know Luke, it’s him.

Wedge smiles at Poe again and claps his shoulder, eyes darting away and Poe sees why. Norra Wexley has appeared on the edge of the crowd and is scanning the crowd, no doubt for her husband.

"I better go," he says. "Poe," and Poe stares at him, the last living legend in the stories that Poe grew up with. "She’d be proud of you. Leia, I mean. Shara too. I know I am."

He smiles and starts to stride away to meet Norra, then pauses.

"Oh, and Poe? Find that young man of yours. Nights like this only come around once a lifetime." He stops, reconsidering, and makes a face. "Well, twice a lifetime if you live long enough. Enjoy it." 

Poe watches him melt away into the crowd and BB-8 nudges against his shin. “What is it buddy,” he asks, eyes still on the crowd. He spots Larma against an A-Wing chatting with Wrobie, Wedge and Norra arm in arm talking to Pava, Chewie with Kalonia and Rose and the sight of all them makes him smile, but they’re not the people he’s looking for. 

BB-8 trills again, insistent this time and what he’s saying finally cuts through the low haze of Poe’s brain. He turns at his droid’s query and sees Finn and Rey, coming from the direction of the _Falcon_ and breaking through the throng. No doubt they slipped inside the old ship for their conversation. Jedi’s, the Force, and the _Falcon_ seem to go hand in hand. It seems fitting, Poe thinks with a certain kind of irony, that they should discuss such things in the _Falcon_.

They’re teasing one another, laughing as Rey punches Finn in the shoulder and he grabs it in mock indignation. Poe smiles wider, if that’s even possible, at the sight of them. Finn sees Poe and the droids and his face lights up in recognition. He grabs Rey’s arm and makes a beeline towards them as love blooms like a river in Poe’s chest, warm and bright.

"C'mon guys," he says walking towards them, BB-8 and D-0 faithfully at his heels. "Let's get this party started." 

Finally, everything feels right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse what I am sure are multiple grammatical errors here, I thought I was done with writing about these Two Love Struck Idiots but obviously I wasn't.

**Author's Note:**

> We were robbed, ladies and gentlemen
> 
> I’m a simple Wedge Antilles stan and the fact that he wasn’t in 100% more of these sequel films is criminal


End file.
